Catholics invited to confession during Be Reconciled Day April 6

After adjusting for the coronavirus for the past two years, the all-day opportunity for the Sacrament of Confession is back. The Diocese of Rockford will again hold Be Reconciled Day on Wednesday, April 6.

Bishop David J. Malloy, recognizing the need for God's grace and forgiveness in the lives of Catholics, has again asked all 104 parishes in the 11-county diocese to add Wednesday, April 6, to their regular Lenten confession calendar and, where possible, to offer confessions that day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The goal of "Be Reconciled" is to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation more accessible, especially for people who have been away or hesitant about confession for many months or many years and to provide a perfect way for busy people to find a convenient time to prepare their souls for Easter.

In his radio and television invitations this year Bishop Malloy asks Catholics "Do you have trouble finding time for confession? Be Reconciled Day makes it easy."

"The Lenten Season is always an important time for us to take stock of our spiritual lives. By the Church's tradition of prayer, fasting and charity, we draw closer to Christ and to the Church. Our souls are laid open to be strengthened by Christ's love, grace and forgiveness so it is a real privilege to focus on the opportunity to offer that forgiveness especially to those who have been away from confession for a long time for whatever reason," Bishop Malloy said. The bishop added that "The old saying goes, confession is good for the soul and it's true."

Bishop Malloy also suggests that Catholics extend a friendly invitation to someone they might know who has been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation, to take part in Be Reconciled Day. Parishes everywhere in the diocese are ready to make all welcome.

Invitations to "Be Reconciled" Day are being made through advertising in digital, print and social media platforms along with radio and television ads and through parishes as well as on a dedicated page on the Diocese of Rockford website at bereconciled.rockforddiocese.org. The site includes confession times for all parishes in the Rockford Diocese as well as information and resources about the sacrament. For the most current information about "Be Reconciled" follow the Diocese of Rockford on Twitter and Facebook. You can also check local confession times by downloading myParish App available free in the App Store.

Established in 1908, the Diocese of Rockford is comprised of 105 parishes in Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, JoDaviess, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties in Northern Illinois serving a Catholic population of more than 400,000. For more about the Catholic Diocese of Rockford visit www.rockforddiocese.org.